


to watch you fall

by Ravens_World



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:21:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29719917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravens_World/pseuds/Ravens_World
Summary: Five times Buck and Eddie were oblivious idiots (in love), and the one time they weren't.Or, Buddie through Maddie's eyes.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han
Comments: 152
Kudos: 780





	1. I.

**Author's Note:**

> I've already written all of this fic, so barring any natural disasters, you should expect daily updates! 
> 
> Side note: For purposes of this fic, I have removed covid from existence. 
> 
> Happy Reading!!

When Maddie got the call from Chimney that Buck was hurt, she heard the word knife, assumed he'd been stabbed and her brain had more or less short-circuited. 

The ride to the hospital had been the longest in her life, and when she'd gotten to his room, she'd found him sitting on the bed, legs swinging like they always had when he was a kid and sat anywhere where his feet didn't touch the ground. Despite the fear and the worry, she had to smile at that. 

" _Hey_ ," she let out, voice thick with tears.

His head snapped up, and when he saw her, he gingerly got up off the bed, but she shook her head. "Don't get up." She made to hug him but then stepped back. "Where-? Where are you hurt? Chim said you were stabbed?"

He rolled his eyes. "I wasn't _stabbed_. I was slashed. Right here," he pointed to his left side, right beneath his ribs. "I'm _alright_ , Maddie. It was nothing."

She ignored his words. "I'm so glad you're okay, baby brother. You scared me."

"Maddie, it's just a flesh wound, you don't have to worry."

Maddie pulled back and did her best to look menacing while having her hands on her non-existent hips. She glared at her brother. "You got _lucky_. You could've been-" she bit her lip to keep the tears from falling, but it didn't work. Buck got up slowly and winced. "Don't move!" She snapped at him worriedly.

"Well then come _over_ here so I can hug you," he retorted, opening his arms. She carefully sat on the bed, then slowly moved closer. With her belly in the way it was awkward, but they made it work. She settled into his uninjured side and let herself breathe for what felt like the first time in hours.

Getting these calls about her brother was never easy, and she doubted it ever would ever _get easier_.

When she let him go, she beelined towards his chart, because she needed to make sure he really was okay. 

"You're being discharged?"

"Yep. Eddie's getting the paperwork."

She raised an eyebrow. "Eddie?"

He rolled his eyes. "Don't look at me like that. Yes, _Eddie_."

She went over to him and sat beside him on the couch.

"Seriously, what is going on with you two?" 

"Mads-" 

"Alright," she held her hand up. "I'll drop it. For now," she added under her breath.

"Ready to blow this joint-" Eddie trailed off as he entered, his eide smile dimming. "Maddie, hey! I didn't realize you were coming."

"Well, I thought my brother was dying, of course I was gonna come."

At her words, Eddie's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Chimney told her I was stabbed," Buck explained.

Eddie crossed over to them and leaned against the bed, facing them. "Not much of a difference. You were really lucky he didn't go any deeper, or a few inches above-"

"Eddie," he interrupted him softly, and they seemed to share a look that, apparently, spoke volumes, because Eddie's shoulders lost their anxious set, and he sighed. 

"I know, man. I just-"

Her brother stood up and went to him, wincing all the way. He put a hand on Eddie's shoulder and rubbed his thumb gently over his collarbone. "I'm okay."

They stared into each other's eyes for a little more than Maddie suspected friends were supposed to, then Eddie nodded. "Okay."

They'd just had a whole conversation with looks and half-finished sentences, Maddie thought in disbelief.

Eddie was the first to pull away, citing his need to bring the car around, and then she and her brother were left alone.

" _Nothing going on, my ass,_ " she muttered, and he rolled his eyes. 

"Stop it."  
.

They got to Buck's in record time, and she was surprised when Eddie produced a key and opened the door himself. Her eyes snapped to Buck, and he pretended he didn't notice her eyes burning holes in the side of his face. 

"Bed or couch?" Eddie asked as they entered the apartment, looking perfectly at home as he put some groceries he'd bought for Buck on the counter and then rejoined them to stand by the stairs. 

Buck sighed. "Bed." Looking up at the stairs like they were going to open up and swallow him. Maddie didn't blame him. Walking up the stairs with stitches in his side would probably hurt like hell. She stepped aside and let Eddie duck under Buck's arm, then saw her brother lean some of his weight on Eddie. At the top of the stairs, Eddie said something quiet in Buck's ear and her brother snickered, then clutched his side and whined, "don't make me laugh!"

She rolled her eyes fondly and quietly made her way into the kitchen. She felt her daughter kick, and she patted her belly. "Yeah, little one, I know. They're both oblivious idiots."

As the day went on, Maddie became more and more sure that something had to be going on between the two.

They cooked together; which consisted of Buck calling out instructions from the table where he and Maddie were sitting, and occasionally having to get up to stop Eddie from messing up anything too badly. Eddie always herded him back in under than a minute, and Buck always, without fail, huffed and puffed but had a smile on his face as he complied. The dinner wasn't bad, though her brother's cooking was better. 

She offered to help with the dishes, but Eddie just gave her a disapproving look and pushed both her and Buck into the couch. She had to bite her tongue to keep from saying anything when she noticed her brother's eyes stayed glued to Eddie for at least one full minute.

They put on a movie, once Eddie joined them, and Buck was now sitting with his head on her shoulder, probably dozing off. She knew it must be uncomfortable, so she eased him down onto his side and let him put his head on a pillow that was half on her thigh and half on the couch. She missed the days she could put a pillow in her lap. She felt him shift, trying not to bump into Eddie, when the other man let out a hum and stood up. Buck made to get up, when he noticed him move, but Eddie put a hand on his arm and crouched down in front of him. "Hey, I gotta go home. Christopher says he loves you, he hoped you get beeter and he wants to see you soon." 

Buck blinked owlishly, then he smiled. "Come by tomorrow," he muttered. "Tell 'em I love him too."

Eddie smiled at him softly. "We'll see." He stroked his hair, then straightened up, and seemed to finally register that there was someone else in the room. He seemed embarrassed for a second, then got over it pretty quickly. 

He cleared his throat. "Goodnight, you two."

"Goodnight," she answered and when her brother didn't do the same, she found that he was definitely asleep now.   
.

When she woke up the next day, she was in the bed alone, her brother no where to be seen. She'd offered to sleep on the air mattress he had, and so had he, but ultimately, they both refused to let the other sleep on the floor so they'd shared the bed. 

She was, more than anything, thankful he'd stopped kicking in his sleep.

She heard sounds in the kitchen and huffed. She'd told Buck to wake her up if he needed anything, and he'd ignored her and let her sleep in. 

Her phone chimed with a text, and saw it was a good morning text from Howie. She smiled and replied, then groaned as she began to sit up. She was really looking forward to the day she stopped being pregnant.

Once she eventually made it downstairs, she was glad she'd gotten dressed for the day and brushed her hair. Because Eddie was here, making breakfast, and so was Christopher, but he was keeping Buck company on the table. The two had their heads together, discussing something that seemed important. Maddie had to smile at them. "Good morning everyone!"

"Morning!" Buck and Christopher answered. Eddie's answering good morning was considerably quieter but was accompanied with a smile.

"Need help with anything?" She asked as she joined him in the kitchen, pouring herself a cup of coffee. 

"No, no, you go sit!" He put a piece of toast on a plate and waved her off. "Can I interest you in some mildly charred grilled cheese?" 

Maddie laughed. "Yes, you can. Thanks, Eddie."

She joined Buck and Christopher at the table and somehow she was roped into a conversation about video games of all things.

Eddie joined them soon after, sitting across from Maddie and in between Christopher and Buck. They ate breakfast, watched some cartoons, and then it was time for Eddie and Chris to leave.

Christopher, to her surprise, hugged her, and she had to laugh when his arms barely reached her back. Buck walked them to the door, got a hug from Christopher and Eddie and locked the door. 

Buck came to sit beside her, one hand on his side, and winced when he sat down.

"So-"

He turned to her. "So?"

"You and Eddie?"

He groaned. "Not _this_ again, Maddie."

"I'm just saying, when I said you had a boy crush on him, I didn't think I'd be right."

"It's not a crush," he told her quietly, and he seemed defeated. 

"Oh, Buck." She put her arms around him. "Have you told him?"

"No," he rushed to say. "And I don't think I ever will."

"Why not?" 

"I don't want to risk what we already have. _And_ \- he has a date in couple of days."

" _What_?"

" _And_ , I'm hanging out with Chris so he could go out on said date."

"Buck," she chided. "I get not wanting to ruin your friendship, but- you'd be basically torturing yourself by being there when he's on a date."

"He deserves to be happy, Maddie."

"Yeah, well, _so do you_ ," she told him fiercely, her arms tight around him.

They stayed like that for a long time.


	2. II.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a bit of Maddie and Christopher cuteness! 
> 
> This one is pretty short, so you should expect the next one soon 😌
> 
> Happy reading!

_"Hey, Mads!"_

"Hi," she answered around a mouthful of ice cream. 

_"Can I ask you for a huge favor?"_

"Of course! What do you need?"

_"Carla had a family emergency, and me and Eddie still have a couple of hours 'till the end of our shift. Would you be okay with Carla dropping off Christopher at yours?"_

"Sure, yeah."

He blew out a relieved breath. " _Thanks, Mads, and it'll only be two hours before either one of us come and get him."_

"Alright."

" _You're the best, sis!"_ He said, before he hung up. 

She shook her head and smiled, then started to clean up. She started to panic about five minutes later, when she realized she had no idea how to entertain a nine year old boy. 

Her doorbell rang fifteen minutes later, and she opened it with a big smile on her face. "Hi!"

"Hey, Maddie," Carla said, eyes worried as she herded Christopher in. "Sorry it's on such short notice. My mom broke her hip, and I gotta-"

"Hey, don't worry about it," Maddie cut her off. "You go ahead, me and Christopher will be fine." She smiled down at the boy, who smiled back, though he did seem a bit nervous. She put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, and they both waved at Carla.

When they were alone, she turned to him and grinned. "So, what do you wanna do, Christopher?"

He seemed to think about it. "I have homework."

"Oh, okay, do you need help with that?" 

"I might," he told her quietly. 

She set him up at the table, and then grapped two glasses of orange juice, set one in front of him and took the other for herself. She sat across from him and busied herself with her phone. The first question he asked was about half an hour in, and he seemed hesitant. She scooted her chair closer and sighed in relief when it was science, because if it had been math, then they'd have both been in trouble. 

While he was doing his homework, she tried to break the ice a little, asked what he liked doing for fun, what were his favorite movies. Christopher started talking, tentative and shy at first, then more open.

"Bucky plays video games with me everytime he comes over." He giggled. "We _used to_ play every time he visited. But dad said we couldn't anymore, so now we play scrabble and risk and have camping trips in our backyard. We even started building a Lego spaceship."

"That sounds great!" His giggles were so contagious she found herself chuckling. "But why did you stop playing video games?"

Christopher grinned. "Dad's scared of the coffee maker," he explained. 

She burst out laughing. " _What?!"_

Christopher nodded. "Buck said we just had to wait to wait him out."

"Well, tell me more about the camping! And the spaceship."

Christopher did. Buck was mentioned in almost all those stories, and Christopher seemed to light up when he talked about her brother. It made her happy, to know that the kid seemed to love her brother as much Buck loved him. 

Christopher didn't have much homework, so he was done after another hour or so. She started on dinner, though it was still early, and let Chris help when he wanted to. They'd just started setting up the table when the doorbell rang. "That would be either your dad or Buck." She informed him as she went to open the door.

She was surprised to see it was both of them.

"Dad! Buck!" 

Eddie knelt to the ground just in time to catch his son in his arms. "Hey, kid. How was your day?"

"Good."

Eddie stood up, and Buck took his place. Christopher threw his arms around her brother's neck. "I missed you," she heard him say in Buck's neck. 

"Missed you too, kid."

When she looked at him, Eddie was watching them both with the softest look she'd ever seen and she had to hide her smile. 

"Hey, thanks for looking after him," Eddie told her. "How was he?"

"It was no problem. And he was an angel, don't worry." She smiled. "Christopher and I were just about to eat when you guys got here, if you're hungry?"

"Starving," Buck whined, and came to stand beside Eddie. She ushered them in and Maddie's eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she saw Eddie's hand on the small of Buck's back. 

Dinner was a joyful affair, and though it was subtle, she noticed that Christopher seemed much more animated now than he was earlier. Not that she was surprised, it was the first time they'd spent time alone, so he was been bound to be shy. 

What did surprise her was the fact that when Christopher talked about his day, his head swiveled left to right, as if making sure both Buck and Eddie heard him, he referenced teachers and friends, and Buck seemed to know them as much as Eddie did. Christopher mentioned hosting a sleepover and Eddie, with no hesitation, asked Buck if he'd be willing to tag team a bunch of eight and nine year olds. 

She was starting to wonder if they were _blind_ at this point.

When they finished dinner, both Eddie and Buck attempted to get her to rest and let them take care of the dishes, but she refused.

"Buck and I will do the dishes, you and Christopher go watch something." Eddie wanted to protest, but at Maddie's look, he raised both hands and gave her a small half-smile.

"Come on, kid," he told Christopher, ruffling his hair. "Let's see what's on TV."

Buck joined her at the sink and they worked in silence for a few minutes. She nudged her brother's shoulder gently, and at his questioning look, she gave him a smile. "Have you talked to him?" Maddie asked him softly.

"Ahh, about what?"

She gave him a look. "Your feelings for him?" He gave her a blank look and she blinked up at him. "Buck, you have to talk to him."

He laughed, and it was his I'm uncomfortable laugh. "I really, really _don't._ He doesn't- he doesn't feel the same way, Mads."

She huffed. "You can't be-"

"Please just drop it," he pleaded, and she swallowed her tongue and listened.

They resumed their work, and she felt guilty when Buck was quiet after, drying dishes with a pensive look on his face. Maddie touched a hand to his elbow. "Sorry I brought it up."

"It's okay, sis."

Maddie shook her head. "It's not. It made you sad."

"I'm not sad." He shook his head and leaned down to smack a kiss to her head, making her laugh at the exaggerated sound that accompanied the action. "I'll be fine."

"I know you will, little brother."  
  


She would make sure of it.


	3. III.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features: Buck being adorable with kids, Buck pining after Eddie, Eddie being the Soft Boy that he is, and mentioned of Ana
> 
> Happy Reading!!

Maddie told Chimney that she wanted to have a picnic in the park since the weather was nice, and somehow, what started as a romantic mid-day outing for two, turned into a chaotic mid-day outing for twelve. Maddie didn't mind, even though she'd been looking forward to some alone time with her boyfriend before their daughter arrived, especially because she hadn't seen most of them in a while.

"How does he do it?"

Maddie turned away from her conversation with Howie to see Hen watching her brother with a look of morbid fascination on her face. She let out a laugh as she saw him run after the four kids. In that moment, he stopped, called the kids over and spoke to them briefly.

"I know, right?" Eddie joined in, smiling. "One time, after a 24-hour shift, he offered to take Christopher to the park to let me rest," he told them, shaking his head in exasperation. 

"Yeah, he does that," Hen said softly. 

Maddie hid her smile as she watched Eddie's expression grow even fonder- something she hadn't thought was possible. 

Denny came running, asked his mom for the soccer ball, and headed right back to where Buck and the kids were.

Buck hefted Nia up onto his shoulders, much to the little girl's delight, and then signaled for the game to start. The game was a but confusing, Maddie realized and try as she might, she couldn't keep up.

She gave up, and just focused on watching them have fun. 

Nia's tiny hands were buried in Buck's hair now, and every once in a while, he would squint up at her with a soft smile that made Maddie want to cry. Her brother launched the ball at Harry, and the kid missed it, so she saw Buck cheer and lift his hand up for a high five from Nia. One hand lifted out of his hair, and she must've tightened the other and pulled, because her brother winced. She heard Eddie let out a quiet snort and realized as she shared a laugh with him that he'd been watching her brother too. 

"What even is this game?" She laughed as the ball flew up and hit her brother in the stomach, and the kids around him did, too.

"No one actually knows," Eddie laughed along with her, then sobered up. "He made it up for Christopher's sake." She looked at him questioningly and he pointed at Buck with his chin. "He made a set of these complicated rules, which none of us understand, mind you, but the boys managed to _somehow._ He said it was a game he used to play with his friends in high school, but I knew he was lying."

Maddie chuckled. "Sounds like Buck." 

"Yeah," he muttered.

She turned back to watching her brother, and something struck her just then. Buck seemed to have a good relationship with all four kids, but there were a few subtle differences between how he was with Denny and Harry, and how he was with Christopher and vice versa. When Denny or Harry fell, which happened a lot, or when they needed a snack, or water, they sought out their parents. Christopher, on the other hand seemed to have no problem in asking Buck for things he wanted. He'd come to tell Eddie when he won, had checked if his dad was watching him a few times, but other than that, he seemed to rely on Buck, and both Eddie and Buck seemed not only okay with it, but like was a common occurrence. 

It only helped solidify her belief that what her brother and Eddie had was a lot more than friendship. 

She looked to the side, where Eddie was, and saw he was smiling down at his phone. 

"Ooh, what's that smile for?" Apparently, Chimney had noticed the same thing.

Hen joined in. "Is it Ana?" She guessed with a teasing grin, and Maddie's heart sank. 

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Quit it, you two."

"But this is just so fun," her boyfriend said. 

" _So_ fun," Hen agreed. 

Eddie's phone rang, and he pointed a threatening finger at his teammates. "Don't you dare make a sound." He held the phone to his ear. "Hey, Ana-"

"Ana and Eddie, sitting in-" Eddie's eyes widened and he scrambled to get up, eyes wide.

Athena shook her head. "You all are children."

Buck came jogging back, Nia in his arms now. The little girl seemed tired as she rested her head on Buck's shoulder. "Hey, Mads, can you hand me that water bottle?" Maddie reached for it, just as Buck turned to Hen. "I think miss Nia here wants some water, too, right, Nia?" He asked, bouncing her a little bit. 

She only nodded. 

"Want us to take her?" Karen asked, looking up at him fondly.

"I'm good," he waved her off. "Unless you want-"

"Oh, go right ahead," Hen cut him off, and she laughed. Maddie waited until he handed Nia's bottle back to her mom, before she gave him his own. He took a few sips as he looked around, and since she was watching him, she saw the exact moment his eyes fell on Eddie. His face fell, but then to her surprise, a small, sad smile appeared on his face. It was all gone in an instant, and Buck focused back on Nia. "You want to go on the swings?"

The little girl perked up and they went on their way. He only made it two steps before Maddie called his name. "Wait, I wanna come with you guys."

Buck put Nia back on his shoulders and walked over just as Eddie did. She felt Chimney's hand on her back, and when he looked like he was about to get up to help her up, Buck gestured for him to sit down. He looked up at Nia, eyes squinted against the sun. "Hold on tight, kiddo."

He offered her his hands and yanked her up. She stumbled, but he steadied her. When she glared up at him, he had a shit-eating grin on his face and she hit him in the arm. It might've actually hurt her more than it hurt him, though.

"Careful! Precious cargo here," he said as he pointed up at Nia, then he made a show of rubbing his arm. 

"Yes, she is," Karen cooed, and she leaned her head on Hen's shoulder. Eddie, who had taken her place, was also looking up at the two, and Maddie was beginning to recognize the look on his face as the soft one he seemed to reserve for Buck.

"Hey, Buck, where's Christopher?" Eddie asked. 

"Swings," he answered immediately. "With the boys. May's with them."

"Need help?" He offered.

"Nah," Buck answered, looking down at his phone. He looked to Eddie with a quick smile. "We've got it." Then he nudged Maddie to walk ahead, and when she snuck a look back at Eddie, she couldn't help but think that he seemed to be disappointed.

"Everything okay with you two?"

Her brother groaned. " _This_ again, Maddie?"

She held her hands up. "I'm not saying anything! You guys just seem a bit- distant?"

He just shrugged. "How's it going up there, miss Nia?" He took her hands in his and leaned his head back to rub it in her stomach. The little girl squealed and laughed and tried to squirm away, and Maddie had to smile at them. 

"It's a good look on you," she commented, holding onto his arm and leaning her head onto it. She put her free hand on her belly and smiled. "I can't wait for you to meet my little girl, Buck."

Buck wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. "I can't wait to meet her either. Though I do need you guys to decide on a name because I can't keep thinking of her as Mango in my head."

She laughed. "Mango?" 

"Chimney," he told her simply, and she just shook her head. 

"Not even born yet and you two are giving her nicknames."

"New family tradition?" He suggested, with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Don't you dare, Evan Buckley," she pointed a threatening finger at him.

"Just saying, you can go by mannie from now o- _ow_ , _ow_ , Maddie."

Nia giggled, and Maddie smiled smugly and shrugged. "You ever bring that up again, and I will kill you."

"Alright, you didn't have to pinch _that_ hard."

"You're a big boy, you can handle it." 

He laughed sarcastically and stuck his tongue out at her, making her shake her head.

She stopped him when they were a few feet away from the swings. "Are you okay? I heard about Ana. Seeing him with someone else can't be easy."

"It's not." Buck sighed. "Look, it hurts, yeah, but I don't think either of us are ready at this point and if Ana makes him happy, then- that's all I want for him and Christopher. I'm-" he seemed to change gears, and his shoulders slumped. "I'm dealing with it, I think? As best as I can." 

She rubbed his arm. "You're an amazing person, you know that?"

He laughed. "This is what any decent person would do, Maddie."

She rolled her eyes. "One of these days, I'm gonna say something nice about you, and you're going to accept it like a normal person."

Buck just chuckled, and they went to the swings. He put Nia in the swing beside Christopher and started pushing her. May was on her phone, alternating between pushing Denny and Harry without looking up, so Maddie let her be and got behind Christopher's swing. "Do you need an extra push, buddy?"

He looked at her over his shoulder, smile wide and brighter than the sun. "Yes, please," he said politely, and her heart melted. 

She pushed him tentatively at first, but little by little she started to push him harder. May came to join her and she smiled at the girl. "Hey."

"Hi," she pocketed her phone. "Thanks for the save. I was running back and forth between the three of them and I was this close to passing out."

Maddie laughed. "No problem. How are you doing?" 

"I'm okay. Glad we get to spend time out like this again."

"Yeah, we've all been pretty busy lately."

They stood in comfortable silence that was only broken by a muffled, cut off curse. May laughed, and when Maddie followed her line of sight, she saw her brother shaking his hand and looking at Nia's swing like it personally offended him. 

"You good?" She tried to keep the amusement from the words, but she realized she failed when she recieved a glare. 

"I'm fine."

"What'd you do now?" Eddie joined them, laughing at him, too. 

Buck rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you're all being mean to me, I'm injured."

"Aww, want me to kiss it better?"

"Promises, promises," Buck responded, without missing a beat. He did, however, miss the way Eddie's eyes darkened when he said the words. 

Maddie's head swiveled between the two. This was not normal behavior. She snuck a look at May and found the girl looking at them in disbelief. She sympathized.

"Why don't you go rest a little, I'll take over here," Eddie suggested. 

Buck hesitated. "You sure?"

"Yeah, go."

"Alright. _Man_ , I'm starving."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Aren't you always?" 

Maddie shook her head at him. "We just ate half an hour ago."

"So? What's your point?"

She waved him off. "Nothing. Go eat, you bottomless pit."

He saluted and jogged over to the where they were set up. The minute he arrived, Bobby produced a sandwich seemingly out of thin air, and Athena handed him a drink. Maddie softened and smiled, though she felt tears spring to her eyes. 

"You okay?"

She sniffled and smiled over at Eddie. "I'm fine. Just- happy that he found his way to this family."

He followed her line of sight and the only way she could describe is that his whole body seemed to soften. "Yeah."

She was tempted to ask him about Ana, if he was serious about her, if he saw it going anywhere, but she held her tongue, knowing it wasn't her place. 

She just hoped, desperately, that if they truly had feelings for each other, they would find their way to each other soon, because watching her brother hurt was not something she wanted to witness ever again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter (probably my favorite) will be angsty as hell (at first) will contain one of the boys being hurt, the other being worried, and Maddie, once again, wondering why the idiots aren't together yet- prepare yourselves for tomorrow


	4. IV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The angst fest is here, y'all! Also, this is the longest chapter in this fic- and my favorite 
> 
> I hope you enjoy, and I really really hope I get to hear what you thought about it???

When Maddie got the call, it was 5 am, and her heart nearly stopped. Howie stirred beside her, and when she looked at the screen and saw Bobby's name, she took her boyfriend's hand in hers and answered the phone, heart in her throat. "Hello?" She hated how her voice shook, but she paid it no mind. 

" _Hey, Maddie. Sorry to wake you, but-"_

"Did something happen to my brother?" She blurted out.

Bobby was silent for two seconds before he answered. And they were the longest of her life. " _Buck's alright. Eddie isn't, though._ "

She closed her eyes. "I'm on my way."

She woke Chimney up, filled him in, and within ten minutes, they were out the door. 

They got to the hospital in record time, and found Buck and Bobby with ease. They were sitting on the waiting room chairs; Buck had his head in his hands, while Bobby had a hand on her brother's back. The older man looked worried. She ran the last steps to him, Howie hot on her heels. "Buck!"

His head snapped up at the sound of her voice, and she nearly stopped dead in her tracks at the dead look in his eyes. He stood up, his movements robotic, and she wasted no time in pulling him into a tight hug. He rested his forehead on her shoulder and she stroked his hair, willing him to say something, to _cry_ , to do _anything_. That was when she noticed the bandage on his hand and halfway up his arm.

She pulled away and held his face in her hands. "What happened, huh? Are you hurt?"

His eyebrows furrowed, and it looked like he had trouble understanding what she was saying. She turned her concerned eyes to Bobby as helped Buck back into his seat.

"Concussion," he answered, gaze filled with worry as he looked at her brother. "Some bumps and bruises on his arm and back." 

"How did this happen?"

Bobby stood up and let her have his seat beside Buck and she took it gratefully, and to her surprise, he didn't move far. He kept a hand on Buck's shoulder as he filled her in.

"Buck and Eddie were inside a burning house, looking for a kid. Buck found her, and they were on their way out when the floor collapsed."

"I tried to hold onto him, I _swear_ ," Buck said hoarsely, voice no louder than a whisper. 

Bobby sighed, looking sad. "I know, kid." This probably wasn't the first time he'd had to say the words.

"But the debris- I- I tried not to let go, but I couldn't."

Buck was shaking, eyes glassy and wide. Maddie suspected he was reliving what happened back there. Bobby must have felt the tremors running through his body, because he crouched down in front of him and took both of Buck's hands in his, rubbing some warmth into them probably. "Buck, you did everything you could."

His eyes, red and filled with such heartbreak that it was a little hard to look at him, met Bobby's and he crumbled. _"I let him go, Bobby."_

Bobby pulled him into his arms, and Maddie felt Chimney do the same to her. Bobby stroked his hair, and pressed a tender kiss to her brother's head, and not for the first time, she was glad Buck had made this family for himself, that he'd found them. "You did everything you could, and I'm proud of you, do you hear me? You got little Ella out, and then you went back in and got him out, too. You did your best, Buck."

He shuddered and nodded, though he didn't seem convinced. He pulled away from Bobby and dried his eyes with the back of his uninjured hand. "I talked to Eddie's grandma, she said she'd come as soon as she found someone to look after Christopher."

"It might be better if she held off until he's out of surgery. Doc said it might take a while," Bobby told him, and Buck nodded. 

And so they waited. Buck attempted to get her to go home, but she refused. "If you're staying, I'm staying."

They dozed off for a couple of hours, Maddie's head on Buck's shoulders, and his head on hers. By the time it was 7 am, there were a lot more people in the waiting room. The first one to arrive was Eddie's grandmother, who made a beeline for Buck and spoke quietly to him. They talked a bit, then he got up and hugged her tightly. Next was someone unfamiliar. She was pretty; curly black her, dark skin, and worried eyes. By the nervous exhale Buck let out when he caught sight of the woman, she guessed this was Anna. 

She had coffee with her, and she passed them out, leaving Buck for last. He took the paper cup with a grateful nod, but that was it, he didn't say anything. She squeezed his shoulder, then moved off to stand to the side. Maddie felt bad for her, because she must be feeling like an outsider right now. Isabel spoke briefly to Buck before she got up and went over to Ana. The two women spoke in hushed tones and Isabel squeezed Ana's arm with a smile.

Buck's phone rang, and he seemed relieved to have a distraction. He got up, though he didn't move far- mainly because the room was tiny and there was nowhere to go if he wanted privacy. He closed his eyes, dread now replacing the relief, and rested his head on the wall when he saw the caller ID, then he sniffled and seemed to pull himself together. "Hey, Carla," he answered wearily. "Yeah, put him on the phone." His fist was clenched at his side, and he had a grip on the phone that was so tight, his knuckles were white.

"Hey, kid," he attempted to say cheerfully, and he mostly succeeded. Everyone in the waiting room was watching him now. "Kid, no, hey, listen to me." He stopped and listened for a while. "I get that you're scared, okay? I am, too. But your dad's the strongest person you know, right?" He chuckled wetly at whatever Christopher said. "Exactly." He then sobered up. "Anything you want, Christopher- _yeah_ , kid, you can come." Ana made a noise, and when she looked at her, Maddie saw that she obviously disagreed with Buck's decision. "Can you put Carla on the phone?" Buck requested, hand buried in his hair now. Then his whole being softened. "Love you, too, little man."

"Hey, Carla- yeah, I know. Can you bring him here?" He smiled sadly. "Thanks."

He hung up and slid down the wall, phone held in both hands and pressed to his forehead. The hurt was coming off him in waves, and it was suffocating. Everyone in the waiting room was watching him again, and it seemed that none of them knew what to do. 

It took half an hour for Carla and Christopher to get there, and once Buck got the text they were there, his whole demeanor changed. When she looked at him, there was no pain, no hurt and no fear. It was like he was a whole new person. The transformation struck her as something only a parent should be capable of, and it made her heart ache for her baby brother even more. 

Christopher appeared, followed by Carla, and he only had eyes for Buck, it seemed. He crashed into him with such force that Buck needed to put a hand on the wall to steady himself, but in the next second, he had the little boy in his arms, crutches and all. The minute he was in Buck's arms, Christopher started crying, heartbreaking sobs wrenching out of his body and shaking him. Buck just held him, swaying him from side to side, until minutes later, he'd calmed down enough to pull away. Buck sat down with him in his lap, all his attention on the little boy. When she chanced a look around the faces in the waiting room, no one seemed surprised by the display. Except Ana, maybe, who looked like she'd been sucker punched. She was watching the way Christopher was clinging to Buck, the way he looked up at him and asked him through the tears if he thought his dad was going to be okay, and the blind faith he seemed to have in him- Buck had said yes, and Christopher had just nodded, accepting the words immediately. 

Isabel was the first to move toward the pair, her eyes shining with tears and her lips wide in a soft smile. "How are you, Christopher?"

Christopher just shrugged, seemingly exhausted. Isabel ran a hand through his hair and then bent down to kiss his forehead and that was when he wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back tightly and spoke in low tones. Christopher was nodding, and then he pulled away and snuggled back into Buck's arms. She straightened up, put a hand to Buck's cheek and kissed his head. He smiled up at her and she smiled back.

Ana was next, and she crouched down in front of them. Buck seemed uncomfortable now, and way out of his depth. "Christopher, Ana's here," he told the boy in his arms, and Christopher barely reacted. She didn't seem phased by it and put a hand on his arm. "Honey, do you need anything?" 

He wordlessly shook his head and in all honesty, she looked like she wanted to say something more, but she refrained. She stayed in that position, rubbing his arm gently, for a few minutes, then seemed to give up. She stood up, then took her previous seat beside Isabel. 

"Bucky?"

Buck, who had his head resting on the wall behind him, eyes closed, sat up. "Yeah?"

"When can I see my dad?"

"I don't know, but I think it's gonna be _really_ soon."

Christopher fussed a little. "I want to see him _now_."

Maddie covered her face with her hands. This was not going to be pretty. Christopher started to struggle in Buck's hold, and she could see, for only a few seconds, desperation and helplessness in his eyes.

Ana, Isabel, and even Bobby stood up, ready to interfere if needed.

Buck framed Christopher's face in his hands and pulled it towards him. Christopher was hyperventilating, now. They were nearly nose to nose, and though Christopher was still struggling, it wasn't as bad as before. "Take a breath for me, Christopher. _In_ ," he took an exaggerated breath in to demonstrate, "and _out_ ," he demonstrated again. Christopher was still crying, but he complied when Buck repeated the mantra. "That's it, that's really good, Chris. I know this hurts. I know you're scared. But, we're gonna have to wait, buddy, I'm sorry."

" _I don't want my daddy to die_ ," he whispered, voice wobbling.

"Oh, buddy, he-" here he closed his eyes. Maddie suspected he didn't want to lie to the boy. "Listen, right now, he's in the _best_ hands. And I know he's fighting so, _so_ hard to get back to you. I know it sucks, but we just have to wait, buddy, okay? Just a little longer."

" _Bucky_." Buck used his hand to tuck Christopher's head into his chest, and buried his nose in the boy's hair. 

Isabel was crying at this point, and Ana had an arm around her shoulders, but her attention was solely on Buck, and there was an unreadable look on her face. 

A doctor came into the waiting room. "Family of Eddie Diaz?"

They all jumped to their feet and the doctor smiled. "You're all his family?" He asked wryly. 

Isabel stepped up. "I am Eddie's grandmother." 

The doctor looked down at his clipboard. "Is there an Evan Buckley here?"

Buck frowned and got up, Christopher still in his arms. "That's me."

"You're Mr. Diaz's power of attorney, correct?"

Maddie, along with everyone else, were stunned. Buck, however, just nodded. "Yes."

"Mr. Diaz is currently in the ICU. He suffered some-" he cut himself off as his eyes flickered over to Christopher, and Buck caught on immediately. He swallowed hard and nodded at the doctor. 

"Buddy, would you mind going with Maddie to get some snacks?"

"But I want to stay with _you_." 

"I know, but you need to eat something, and once you're back, we'll get to see your dad."

Christopher perked up. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."  
.

She didn't end up taking him to the cafeteria, just to a vending machine down the hall, figuring they needed to stay close until Buck gave her the okay. 

"What are you in the mood for, kid?" She asked brightly, trying to cheer him up, and was glad when he cracked a smile. He was looking at the options and seemed to be considering it.

After a few seconds, he looked up at her. "Can I get more than one?"

"Sure, buddy, anything you want! As long as it doesn't get me in trouble with your dad when he wakes up."

He looked up at her with tearful eyes. "He's gonna wake up, right, Maddie?"

Her eyes softened. "I think he will, yes," she answered, following her brother's lead in not lying to him. She hugged him to her side, and it was a bit awkward because of her pregnant belly, but it turned out alright. "So, which ones did you want?"

He pointed first at a granola bar, then at a Reese’s cup, and finally, he pointed at a bag of sour patch kids. She brought him everything, plus a few water bottles for everyone else. And it was just in time, because she recieved a text from Buck to bring him back. 

When she got there, Buck stood up to meet them. "Thanks for taking him, Mads."

She squeezed his arm. "Of course!" 

He crouched down in front of Christopher. "We talked to your dad's doctor, and he said he'll be okay, kid." Christopher cheered and hugged him, snacks held tightly in his hands. "You can go see him now with Ana and Abuela."

Maddie and Christopher both frowned. "You're not coming?" The boy asked, and he sounded upset. 

Buck wordlessly shook his head, then he smiled wryly. "Afraid not."

"But why?"

"Chris," Buck sighed, and Maddie felt for him. It must not be easy to have to explain to Christopher why he wasn't the first one in. "Buddy, I have to talk to you about something, okay?" He changed the subject. "When you go into the room, your dad will be sleeping, but not like normal, okay? So, he won't wake up if you talk to him."

"Why?"

Buck seemed to struggle with how to answer, so Maddie jumped in.

"Because the doctors used something called a sedative to keep him asleep, so that his body can heal faster," she explained. Christopher nodded. "So, he can hear you, but won't be able to say anything. So, talk to him, okay?"

He nodded. "He's really okay?" He checked, eyes on Buck.

"He is," Buck confirmed with a bright smile. He recieved an enthusiastic hug, and when Christopher pulled away, he handed him one of the snacks. "Wha-" he looked down at the Reese's in his hand and shook his head. Maddie herself was in awe.

"Thank you, Christopher." He pressed a kiss to his head, and Maddie would have blamed her tears on the pregnancy if it wasn't for the fact that she wasn't the only one fighting back tears, she realized when she noticed Isabel looking at the two with teary eyes. Buck stood up, put a hand on the little boy's shoulder and steered him to where Isabel and Ana were waiting. 

Howie came to her and pulled her into his arms, and she felt the tension seep out of her. "You okay?"

She snuggled closer. "I am now."

When her brother came back, she took his hand. "Why didn't you go in?"

"Only two adults allowed." He smiled bitterly. "Grandma and girlfriend get dibs."

She and Chimney shared a look, and he let her go and wandered off to Bobby's side, understanding that they needed some time alone. "Oh, Buck."

"He's okay, that's what matters. I'm _fine_ , Mads," he interrupted her, sounding like the opposite of fine. "I'm getting used to it."

"No, you're not," she countered gently. 

He was quiet for a few seconds, then shook his head. "No, I'm not," he admitted quietly. "Why can't I just get _over him_?" He whispered, mindful of everyone around them. "He's been dating her for two months now, and he- he seems happy with her, so why can't I just- move on?"

Maddie smiled sadly. "Because you're you." When he frowned at her, she just raised an eyebrow. "You have a hard time giving up on the things, the _people_ , you love. Remember Ms. Whiskers?" She asked him quietly, and was pleased when that garnered a quiet laugh. "You looked for that cat for months after she disappeared."

"Made you look for it, too."

"Ugh, don't remind me."

He leaned his head on her shoulder and she gladly put her arms around him. "Thanks for being here, Maddie."

She kissed him on the forehead, hand playing with his curls. "You don't ever have to thank me for that. Now, eat your candy."  
.

Buck, after a hug and a promise to keep her updated, kicked her out minutes after their talk, somehow sensing that her back was giving her hell. 

Bobby, to her relief, didn't seem to be leaving any time soon. He took her seat beside her brother and gave her a nod. 

For the next day, Buck, and suprisingly Bobby, kept her updated.

Twenty hours or so after she left the hospital, she received a text that said ' _he's awake_ '.

Maddie was on her way to the hospital in five minutes.  
.

Eddie was now in a regular room, and both Buck and Christopher were in there with him. Christopher was asleep in Buck's lap, his dad's hand clutched in both of his. They hadn't noticed her yet, and she was about to make her presence known when Eddie spoke. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For looking out for him when I couldn't. Abuela told me about it, and I-"

"Eddie," Buck interrupted him with a smile. "I'd do anything for this kid, don't you know that by now?"

Eddie sucked in a breath, and it seemed like he was chewing on the inside of his cheek to keep his emotions in check. "Yeah, well, knowing it and _knowing it_ are two different things."

Buck laughed. "Maybe that concussion is more than mild? That didn't make sense."

"It did to me," Eddie protested. 

Maddie took the opportunity to knock on the door, and they both looked to her. "Hey, Mads," Buck greeted her quietly.

"Hey." She turned to Eddie and grinned. "It's good to see you awake, Eddie." 

"Thanks for coming, Maddie." He pointed at the side table, and she noticed the granola bar she and Christopher had bought. "And thanks for the snacks."

She chuckled. "No problem. He's a great kid." She told him, and noticed the proud smile on his face when he looked at his son. "He brought some for Buck, too," she teased.

Buck rolled his eyes at her, and he shook his head at her as if to tell her he was onto her. She just shrugged. 

Buck was about to say something when he dropped his phone, and she and Eddie both laughed at him, that was until he went to grab it and nearly fell out. He would've, if it hadn't been for Christopher's weight balancing him. Eddie's laughter stopped abruptly. "Hey, are you okay?" 

He waved off the concern. "I'm _fine_ , Eddie."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Don't think I didn't see those bandages." He was a man on a mission. "When was the last time you ate, huh? When was the last time you slept?" 

"Eddie, it doesn't _matter_."

His face hardened. "Of course it matters, you idiot," he hissed, then turned his attention to her. "How long has he been here?"

Maddie kept her amusement to herself and answered dutifully. "He hasn't left." 

Eddie's head whipped around and he fixed Buck with a glare that should have had him trembling in fear. Instead, her brother just gave him a sheepish smile. "I had a concussion, so it was for the better that I didn't sleep?" He tried. The glare intensified. "Eddie, you were in surgery. I didn't know if you were gonna make it. I couldn't think about anything else."

"Buck- wait, I know that look," Eddie's tone changed from tender to exasperated in a second. "Tell me you're not blaming yourself for this?"

Maddie was stunned. How had he read her brother like that? How had he taken a look at him and understood? 

"Buck-"

"I let you _go_ ," Buck snapped, and he was glaring, too. Maddie, for one uncomfortable second, felt like she was intruding.

"Buck, a part of the roof fell on you. I can bet _that_ -" he pointed at his bandaged arm, "-happened because you were holding onto me." 

Buck looked down. "Doesn't matter, I let go."

"You saved me. Bobby told me you came back in for me, Buck. If it weren't for you-" he put a hand on top of his. "Thank you, for doing everything you could to save me."

Buck sniffled, and though his eyes were red, no tears fell. He smiled at him. "You would've done the same for me."

Eddie just smiled back. He didn't say anything else; his eyes did all the talking for him. Not for the first time, she wondered why he was still with Ana when he so obviously had feelings for her brother, why both of them seemed to fight their feelings so damn hard.

She also wondered when they were going to get their heads out of their asses and see that they belonged together.

The last thing she saw before quietly leaving the room was Eddie gently pulling his hand away from Christopher's grip and holding onto Buck's hand instead.


	5. V.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Madney's baby is born, so, a bit of fluff here!!
> 
> I stole Madney's daughter name from Maddie, (maddieandchimney on tumblr) because I suck at picking names  
> Not really happy with this chapter, but I didn't want to be any later in posting, so here it is.
> 
> Let me know what you thought, please?
> 
> Happy reading!!

When her water broke, Maddie was hanging out with Buck, who'd come to visit her like he always did on his days off. He was worried about her, Maddie could tell, and he was even more so now. She'd been to the hospital just yesterday, because she thought she was having contractions, but the doctor had told her those were just Braxton hicks and sent her home, so she had been mostly ignoring them for the past twenty hours or so. Now, though, she wished she hadn't. She stared at the puddle at her feet, uncomprehending, then, as calmly as she could, she called out for her brother. 

He got up off the couch, phone in hand and walked over to her. "Yeah?" He asked distractedly. 

"The baby is coming."

His head snapped up, eyes wide and mouth open. "The _baby_ -?"

She smiled through the pain. "She's coming." 

"Oh, _God_ , what do I need- what do _you_ need?" He sort of spun around himself, going in different directions and then thinking better of it. She might have laughed if an intense contraction hadn't hit her in that exact moment. He saw her hunch over and hurried over to her; somehow, seeing her in pain had lessened his panic. He offered his hand, and she took it gratefully. From the wince on his face, she guessed she'd squeezed too hard. "Sorry," she said when it let up.

"It's fine," he told her, and gently guided her toward her bedroom. "Anything you need before we head to the hospital?"

"My bags, they're under the bed." He was nodding. "Also, new underwear," she added, just to see the disgust on his face." 

"Ew, no, _you're_ getting those." 

She laughed, and let him drag her into his side. 

"Hey, you're both going to be okay," he said as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He stopped dead in his tracks. "Please tell me you two thought of a name? We _can't_ keep calling her Mango."  
.

Buck couldn't get a hold of Howie, and he assured her it must be because he's on a call. She tried not to panic and told herself to keep taking deep breaths. 

Buck stayed with her the whole time, distracting her as best as he could.

" _Mom and dad,_ " she gasped out, remembering just as another contraction hit. He gave her his hand and she squeezed the life out of it. The poor thing had become so accustomed to it that he didn't even show discomfort. 

"Called them. They're on their way." 

She leant back as the contraction eased, and her brother took the small bright green towel she'd packed and wiped away the sweat. "Thanks for being here, Buck," she panted. "And thank you for talking to them, I know things are still weird between you."

He shrugged. "Wasn't about me, Mads. And- I'm glad to be here." 

She squeezed his hand and grit her teeth. "Where's _Chimney_?" She cried quietly after a minute, unable to stop the tears. 

"Hey, he's gonna be here soon, okay? I'm sure everything's okay, he's probably just busy with a call and hasn't had a chance to check his phone."

"He should be _here_ ," she stuttered out.

He wiped away her tears with his free hand and smiled gently. "And he will be. You'll see."

He stepped out when the doctor came to examine her, and when he came back, he had a smile on his face. "He's on his way. Everyone is." He reclaimed his seat, and she she reclaimed his hand. "Turns out, his phone fell in a pool during a call. I called Eddie and he delivered the news."

" _Eddie_ ," she said through gritted teeth, and once the contraction eased up, she continued. "Have you talked to him?"

"About?"

"About your feelings for him!"

He stared at her in disbelief. "You're thinking about this now?"

"Yes-" _Deep breaths, Maddie, Deep breaths. A couple more hours and you get to meet your daughter_. "Now, tell me," she demanded.

"Nothing to tell."

"He broke up with Ana!"

" _So_?"

" _So_? You're both single, and you're both- _oh, God-hmmm,"_ she breathed through the pain, and when it faded, she opened her eyes and powered through, "- and you're both obviously gone for each other. So, What are you waiting for?"

He used the towel to wipe away the sweat on her forehead and rolled his eyes. "So, nothing. It wasn't just Ana. It's- a million other things, Maddie. And now is not the time for you to worry about my love life. How are you even talking right now?"

She was about to argue when the door banged open and Chimney came running into the room. She let out a relieved sob and reached out for him. Buck steeped aside and Chimney took his place, taking her hand and pressing kisses all over hear sweaty face. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here."

She smiled through her tears and shook her head. "You're here now." 

Buck placed a kiss on her head, then quietly left the room. 

Howie kissed her lips, soft and sweet. "I love you."

She was stunned when she realized, in that moment, there was nothing she wanted more than to say it back. But she didn't, because she wasn't ready to do it yet.

So she just smiled and kissed him back, hoping it was enough.  
.

The second she held her daughter in her arms, all the pain she'd experienced before was forgotten. Howie was beside her on the bed, staring at the little bundle in her arms with the kind of awe that was so endearing that she had to bring him closer for a kiss. 

"I can't believe she's here," he whispered against her lips. 

"Yeah," Maddie laughed. "I think you should go ahead and tell everyone to come in now."

He snorted. "Yeah, last time I was there, Buck was doing his best to give himself a heart attack by reading about all the things that could go wrong during a birth."

She smiled, and then she felt this intense need to see her brother and have him meet her daughter. "Can you please go get him?"

He kissed her head, then nodded. "I'll be right back."

A minute or two later, there was a quiet knock on her door and she looked up. Buck poked his head in and she couldn't help the smile that split her face. "Hey, you- come meet your niece."

He was beside her in two quick strides, and she heard him sniffle. " _She's so beautiful, Mads_. You did so good."

"She is, isn't she?" She said proudly. "Do you want to hold her?" 

"Yeah," he said and extended his hands. She'd expected him to be hesitant, or to hold her wrong, but to her surprise, he was confident, and gentle. When he took her daughter's hand in his, he lifted it up to his mouth and pressed a kiss there, his face full of love for the little girl, and Maddie started to cry quietly. Buck laughed at her, and transferred her daughter so that he was holding her with one arm, then sat beside Maddie and held her with the other. "Why are you crying?"

"I just love you, baby brother."

"Love you too, sis." 

Chimney came in then, with Eddie, Bobby, Hen and Athena in tow. Maddie dried her eyes and greeted them all with a wide smile. Buck stood up with the little girl in his arms and Howie took his place. Everyone crowded around her brother, who was showing her off like the proud uncle he was, and they started to coo and fawn over her. Howie leaned closer. "Albert will be here in half an hour or so." 

"Can't wait to watch him panic over holding her."

She heard Eddie let out a soft laugh and when she looked over, he was watching Buck talk to his niece, eyes soft and maybe even wistful. He joined in, and though she couldn't hear what they were saying, their eyes said it all. Buck said something that made Eddie laugh again and lean down to look closely. "It's true!" He protested loudly, and Buck shook his head at him. 

Eddie huffed and fixed Maddie and Chimney with a look. "Back me up here, her eyes are blue like his, right?"

Maddie shook her head. "Still too soon to tell, Eddie." 

"She's gonna have blue eyes," he told them confidently. 

"Willing to bet on it, Eddie?" Hen asked with a smirk.

Maddie spluttered. "You are not betting on my daughter!"

"You're no fun," Hen told her mildly.

"Quit hogging that baby, Buckaroo," Athena muttered as she waved her hands impatiently.

Buck dutifully handed the baby over, then went back to standing so close to Eddie there was barely a hair of space between them. Eddie's phone rang.

"Oh, it's Christopher!" 

Buck perked up, and though Maddie hadn't thought it would be possible, he moved even closer to Eddie. 

"Dad! Buck!"

"Hey, Christopher," her brother called enthusiastically, and Eddie smiled fondly at him. 

"Maddie and the baby are okay," Eddie assured the little boy, and Maddie wished he'd brought him with him. 

"Hey, you want to meet her?" Buck asked, smiling so wide Maddie was sure his cheeks hurt at this point.

"Yeah!"

Buck went over to Bobby, who handed him the baby with, Maddie realized, a knowing look. 

Buck bounded back over to Eddie, and he held the baby up a little. "Here she is," he said proudly and Maddie had to smile through her tears. Not for the first time, she realized how lucky both she and her daughter were for having Buck in their life.

"She's so tiny!"

Everyone in the room laughed. 

Christopher asked a few more questions, and Buck and Eddie took turns answering them. Maddie was pleasantly surprised when just before he hung up, Christopher asked to talk to her. 

"I'm glad you and the baby are okay," he told her quietly, shyly. 

Maddie pursed her lips to keep from crying and smiled widely. "Thank you, sweetie. Come visit us soon, okay? I want you to meet her properly."

His eyebrows drew together and he peered closer. "What's the baby's name?"

Buck looked at them with wide eyes. "I can't believe I forgot to ask!" 

Maddie herself had forgotten, too. So had everyone else.

She looked at Howie, and they shared a smile. "Amelia Joy," her boyfriend told them proudly. 

"Amelia Joy Buckley-Han."  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may think it's unrealistic for Maddie to be matchmaking while in labour, but trust me, I've been through this (not the labor, but being interrogated while my sister is in labour) and it happened 😌😂


	6. VI.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last Chapter!!
> 
> I loved writing this fic,and I loved hearing from you guys! Thank you to everyone who read, who gave kudos, and especially to all of you who took the time to comment on a chapter or more than one. I love you all 🖤
> 
> Let me know what you think! I cannot wait to hear from you for this last one
> 
> Happy Reading!

When Chimney told her they were going on their first date since Amelia was born, the first thing Maddie felt was terror and dread. She couldn't imagine leaving her baby alone for _hours_ , not even if it was with Buck, whom Amelia seemed to adore with all ofher little heart. 

Howie was insistent though, and after a week of him pestering her about it, she agreed.

It took another two days of planning, trying to find a day they all had off, and during that time, she'd changed her mind about a dozen times. 

On the day of, she packed up her daughter's things, checked and double checked that everything Buck would need was there, then got her daughter ready. "You're gonna be spending the day with your uncle Buck, baby!" 

Amelia squealed as Maddie rubbed their noses together, and held onto a strand of hair and pulled. Maddie winced, and seriously considered cutting her hair to a short length just until her daughter grew out of the hair tugging phase. 

"Alright, Howie, we're leaving!" She called out, but recieved no answer as he was in the shower. She wanted to allow him the opportunity to say goodbye to their daughter, but they were running late, so she let him be. "Daddy will see you tonight after our date, okay, baby?"  
.

Buck opened the door with a wide smile, and snatched Amelia out of her hands the minute she was close. He held her up in the air, pressing his face in her neck and blowing noisily. Her daughter let out the sweetest laugh and Maddie smiled and shook her head. "I'm here, too, you know!" 

Buck rolled his eyes and gave her a distracted one-armed hug. "Hey, Mads." Then went right back to playing with Ami. 

"I missed you, little one," her brother said quietly, holding the little girl up so they were face to face. One small fist hit him in the face and he laughed. 

"Hey, I'm running late, so-" she trailed off when she noticed Buck's small table was set for two. For a date, that much was obvious. 

"Ooh, are you expecting company?" She muttered, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Then, "wait, do you need me to take Amelia somewhere else? Or maybe Howie and I can reschedule?-"

"Mads, _no_! Absolutely not."

"Buck, you haven't been on a date in what, 6, 7 months now? This is a big deal! I don't want to ruin anything for you."

Buck smiled and squeezed her arm. "I promise you, you're not ruining anything. Go, have fun with your boyfriend. And don't _worry_ about us."

"Are you sure?" She checked again.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. Now, quit stalling, and go."

"Okay." She steadied herself on his arm and went on her tiptoes to place a couple of kisses on both of her daughter's cheeks. "Be good for your uncle, sweetie." She kissed her again, smiling when she let out a giggle. "I love you."

"Oh, and Maddie?" 

"Yeah, Buck?"

"You look beautiful, sis," he said, his smile soft. 

She grinned, and twirled a little in her green dress. "Yeah?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, you do."

She hugged him sideways and smiled up at him. "Thanks. For everything." 

He waved her off, then held her daughter's hand up in his and imitated a wave. "Say bye bye, Ami."

Maddie waved at them both, took a deep breath and forced herself to leave. 

It was just a couple of hours.  
.

Maddie's cheeks hurt from smiling, yet she couldn't stop herself from doing it all the way to Buck's. Howie had tried to convince her to let Ami stay the night at Buck's, but she just couldn't wait to tell her brother and her daughter, and she might also be suffering from separation anxiety- not that she was going to admit it. Howie had just laughed and offered to come with her, but she'd declined. 

When she got there, she quietly knocked on his door and waited. She looked down at her hand and stared at the ring in awe, still unable to believe that she was going to get married. To _Howie_. Her smile widened and she started to get impatient as Buck kept her waiting. She rummaged in her purse and came up with the key to his apartment, one she never used in order to avoid any incident like the one from when she first came to LA. 

But, desperate times, right?

When she entered, quietly as to not wake them if they were sleeping, she found the lights were dim. The TV was on, but the sound was low, so she continued her journey onward. 

Then- that was her brother, half naked, on top of someone.

"Ahhh!" She turned around, looking up at the ceiling. " _Seriously, Evan?_ "

She heard a thud. "Maddie? How'd you get in?"

"The key you gave me a year ago? I guess I should be happy this time you're only _half_ naked," she said, trying to control the urge to laugh as she heard another thud and a curse. 

"This time?" She heard another voice join in. And that was- that was definitely _Eddie_ , she realized with a jolt. 

"You can turn around, Mads." 

She did, and _yep_ , that was definitely Eddie, hair messy and face red. They both looked like a couple of teenagers caught making out and she couldn't help but laugh. " _Relax_ , you two. You look like you expect to be scolded." Her eyes shifted to Buck and she pointed a finger at him. "You and I will be having words about this, though."

He gave her a sheepish look and shrugged, while Eddie, who looked almost uncomfortable, excused himself to the kitchen. Buck's eyes followed him, and when she saw the thinly veiled concern in his eyes, she crossed over to him. "Hey, what's wrong? Did I make him uncomfortable?"

He shook his head. "It's not you. We just agreed we'd keep this quiet for a little while, just to figure out if it's something we both want- _longterm_ , I mean."

"How long has it been going on?"

"A little over a month?"

She blinked at him. "And you haven't-?"

"I have," he told her confidently. "Eddie- I'm not sure. I don't want to rock the boat too much, you know? We're in a good place, and I don't-" he cut off abruptly, and she understood why when she followed his eyes to where her hand was fiddling with her belt. " _You said yes!_ " He nearly shouted, enthusiastic and genuinely happy. Maddie raised an eyebrow. 

"You knew?"

He nodded vigorously. "Went ring shopping with Chim. He was _picky_ , and it was a _nightmare_." She laughed, then laughed harder when he hugged her and spun her around. "I am so happy for you, Mads. So, so happy."

"I am, too. It feels like a dream, you know?"

"Yeah," he said wistfully, and she put a hand on his cheek. 

"It'll work out. You and Eddie, you'll figure it out. You already did the hard part."

He smiled. Amelia chose that moment to wake up, and she heard her daughter's cries. "I'll go get her," Buck said immediately and Maddie walked over to the coffee table, picked up the walkie, and turned it off. 

Eddie came back a few seconds later, a glass of water in his hand and still uncomfortable, though he was hiding it better. "Congratulations," he told her with a sincere smile, pointing his chin in the direction of the ring. "Couldn't not hear Buck screaming about it," he added, sounding fond. 

She shook her head with a small smile. "Thanks." She wondered if he heard anything else, though she knew they'd kept most of their conversation quiet.

He wiped his hands on his jeans. "Hey, Maddie-"

"I won't tell anyone."

He let out a relieved breath. "Thanks."

It rubbed her the wrong way, his relief. She knew he loved her brother, it was all over his face even before they got together. But the fact that they'd been together for a whole month, but he still wasn't sure about them, didn't sit right with her. 

The thing was, she knew her brother. The minute he and Eddie got together, she was sure he'd been all in. Right now, he was letting Eddie lead, and she had to wonder what this was doing to him. His words, that he didn't want to rock the boat, came back to her, and they made her suspect that maybe they'd discussed this before and Eddie had reacted negatively? Doubts began to creep in, and her thoughts must have showed on her face, because Eddie sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. He turned to look at the stairs, then looked back at her. 

"I love your brother, Maddie." She nodded; that wasn't exactly news to her, though it was nice to hear him confirm it.

"Have you told _him_ that?" He looked down at his hands, and Maddie felt stuck for a second, unsure if it was her place to say any of this. "Listen, Eddie, I know how hard it is, _trust me_ , I do. But- he deserves to know. So, maybe you should talk to him about why you really don't want people to know?" She suggested. "Buck's smart, especially when it comes to the people around him, so if you're hiding something? He'll know, and he'll overthink it to death-"

He laughed and nodded. "I know." When he looked at her, he seemed regretful, guilty. "He's been good to me, better than I deserve."

She felt guilty and immediately retracted. "Hey, no, that's not- you've been good to him, too, you know." 

He looked doubtful. 

"Hey, I could tell he's been a lot happier these past few weeks. I just never figured out why. Until _now_." 

A small smile appeared on his face, and she let out a relieved breath. 

Buck came down a few minutes later, holding her daughter in one arm and her bag in the other. Amelia had her face buried in Buck's neck, and Maddie suspected she was back to sleep. "Sorry I was late, she needed a diaper change," he said quietly. 

"Thank you," she told him, kissing his cheek. She took her daughter gently, then the bag.

Eddie, in a move that was a surprise for Buck as much as it was for her, pulled Buck in for a chaste kiss. "I think I'm gonna head out, too. I'm cutting it close as it is," he laughed softly.

Buck seemed disappointed, but nodded with a smile. While Eddie collected his things, Buck walked her to the door. "Talk to him, Buck," she urged. "If you trust him, and if you love him as much as I think you do, then you should rock the boat. Don't keep things from him, little brother, okay?"

"I don't know, Mads."

"Trust me, I'm always right."

Buck laughed and pushed her out. "Hey, watch it!" She exclaimed, laughing. "I'll see you?" 

"Tomorrow. You and Chim. I'm cooking you dinner, and you're gonna tell me everything about the proposal."

She waved at him as she answered, "alright, see you tomorrow, Buck. Say bye to Eddie for me."

"Will do."

"Oh, before I forget!" She went back over to him, just as Eddie joined them at the door. She pressed the key to his apartment in his hand, and at his questioning look, she gave a sly one of her own. "Twice is bad enough, not risking a third time now that this-" she gestured between them, "is a thing."

With that, she walked away, her brother's protests and Eddie's laughter following after her. 

They were going to be okay, she was sure of it.  
.

Two days later, she got a simple text that had her smiling like a lunatic, according to Chimney, at her phone.

_B: Talked to Eddie. We're gonna tell Bobby tomorrow._

And exactly a week after that, at a get together that Buck hosted in his apartment that definitely was not big enough for all of them, Eddie and Buck told everyone they were together, awkward and stumbling over their words. No one seemed surprised, which had the boys offended, and it didn't take long for the conversation to turn to the details of how they got together. 

Maddie was over the moon happy for them, but that was until Hen, smug as ever, asked the boys when they got together.

"And be specific- a lot of money is riding on this."

-and she remembered the bet she was in on.

Eddie raised an eyebrow, and Buck just rolled his eyes and huffed. 

"About six weeks ago?" Eddie asked and Buck nodded. 

Hen and Athena high fived. "Pay up, all of you," Athena called out.

Maddie, Howie, Karen and even Bobby took out their wallets and dutifully handed over their money.

"You all bet on us?" Buck asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah," Hen said. "It's what we do," she shrugged.

"Wait," Buck zeroed in on her, his eyes narrowed. " Maddie, is that why you were on my case about him?"

"You're my brother, Buck! I was concerned about your sad excuse of a love life." At his raised eyebrow, she smiled sheepishly. "And I was invested, literally." Everyone else laughed as he glared at her, and he turned to Eddie, shaking his head. 

"You're supposed to be on my side," he reminded him mildly, and when Eddie's hand rested on the nape of his neck and the other man leaned in to place a sweet kiss on his temple, his frown was replaced by a pleased smile. The action garnered different reactions. 

Maddie let out a quiet 'aww' and Bobby and Athena looked on with fond and pleased smiles. Hen and Chimney, on the other, had to ruin the moment. Her fiance threw popcorn at them, while Hen shook her head. "You two are gonna be a nightmare at work, aren't you?"

Buck collected the popcorn off his lap and ate it, then shrugged, pointedly moving closer to Eddie, even though Maddie hadn't thought that was possible. "I guess you'll have to wait and see," he shrugged with a smug smile.

Eddie rolled a smile, but Maddie caught his pleased smile seconds before he hid it in her brother's hair.

Maddie smiled, so happy she could cry, as she snuggled further into Chimney's side.

For a long time, all Maddie had wanted for her brother was to find someone with a heart as big as his, for him to find a person who gave him the love he deserved. Someone who met him halfway.

And now, as she watched him and Eddie speak quietly, as if they were in their own bubble, as she watched them laugh together, every action of theirs managing to convey tenderness and love, she realized that this was exactly what she had wanted for him.

And he'd found it with Eddie.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think? I'd really appreciate hearing from you guys!


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